The Boomer Jack’s Grill & Bar franchise has kept home systems integrator Dan Capron busy. He and his team at Texas-based company Capron Security and Custom Electronics have outfitted several of the popular sports bar establishments with a solution that provided the staff with an easy way to operate multiple DirecTV receivers and dozens of TVs. For these projects Capron specified a high-end control system.

For his most recent Boomer Jack’s project, however, Capron broke tradition by using an open automation solution comprised of Global Caché products instead of a proprietary control system.

It would be Capron’s first crack at configuring and installing Global Caché devices, having only recently connected with the company at the 2017 InfoComm convention in Orlando, Florida. After learning at the show about Global Caché’s extensive line of connectivity products, he decided to employ a series of iTach IP2IR devices instead of his go-to automation system for what would be his sixth Boomer Jack’s project. It was a decision that was not only easier for him and his team to deploy, but was nearly one-third the cost of a functionally comparable high-end automation system. “The hardware, software, installation and programming at our last five jobs at Boomer Jacks ended up costing the client about $30,000 each. For the same scope and level of control at our latest Boomer Jack’s installation we were able to charge the client $12,000,” Capron says.

Equally impressive as the significant cost savings of using Global Caché products was the simplicity of the system design and operation. “The Global Caché iTach IP2IR modules enable anything that can be controlled via IR, which means any off-the-shelf TV, to become IP addressable,” Capron comments. The installation crew at Capron Security and Custom Electronics simply attached the IR receiver of the display to an iTach IP2IR module (one iTach can support three TVs) and with some level 2 programming were able to join the 42 Boomer Jacks TVs to the IP network. “There was no special training, wiring, or programming involved,” Capron enthuses.

The Global Caché solution has proven just as simple and straightforward for the Boomer Jack’s employees to master as it was for Capron to configure and install. Because the establishment’s 42 LG TVs, including three mounted outside on the patio, would now be able to speak IP, the staff would be able to control the displays from a DTVGameControl iPad. No searching or scrolling for the appropriate commands for each would be required. “Our goal with the interface was making the 42 TVs and 12 DirecTV receivers as easy to control as one receiver and TV,” Capron says.

The 17 Global Caché IP2IR modules that Capron installed provide iPad-based control of common TV functions like on/off and volume up/down. There’s more to running a successful sports bar than having these controls in the palm of your hand, however.The most time consuming and complicated task, says Capron, is selecting a game for each TV to display. To do this in a conventional manner would require setting the channel individually for each TV. “We’re talking more than 100 button presses throughout the day for a place like this,” Capron says.

The DTVGameControl application that Capron loaded onto the company iPads breaks down the process of selecting a game for each TV to a few taps of a button. After the staff has turned on the TVs by engaging the DTVGameControl “All On” command which travels to the TVs via the Global Caché IP connection, they visit the DTVGameControl app to choose a program available on one of the 12 receivers. A layout of the facility shows them the location of every TV. They choose which TVs should receive the selected DirecTV program by tapping the appropriate TV icons on a floorplan of the bar and restaurant. “In a few seconds instead of several minutes 42 TVs are set and ready,” Capron says. The app also shows the staff what’s playing currently on each TV, giving them a convenient tool to ensure that their guests are happy with the sports coverage.

By leveraging the power and ease of IP-based control, Dan Capron was able to deliver a sports-viewing solution that makes managing more than 40 TVs a simple and intuitive process for all Boomer Jacks employees. It saved the franchise thousands of dollars on equipment and dozens of hours on employee training.

About the Author

Lisa Montgomery has been a member of the CE Pro and Electronic House editorial teams for nearly 20 years; most of that time as the Editor of Electronic House. With a knack for explaining complex high-tech topics in terms that average consumers can understand, her style of writing resonates with people who are interested in addition electronic systems to their homes, but are unsure of the steps involved and the solutions available. From basic lighting control systems to full-blown automation systems, Lisa understands the home electronics market well, and is able to point consumers in the right direction on their quest for a smarter, more convenient, efficient and enjoyable home.
Over the years, she has developed close relationships with key manufacturers and seasoned custom electronics professionals, giving her a keen sense of what home technologies are hot now and what is on the horizon. She shares this wisdom regularly through feature stories, product roundups, case studies technology spotlights and comprehensive guides and books.
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